Mattress tufting machine



8 1933- w. B. MATHEWSON 1,922,211

MATTRESS TUFTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1931 lrcvenror. Wilfred B.Mathewson by HM! MW 5 5.

Patented Aug. 15, 1933 PATENT OFFICE MATTRESS TUFTING MACHINE Wilfred 'B. Mathewson, South Weymouth, Mass, assignor to United Mattress Machinery Company, Boston, Mass., a Corporation of Maine Application October 1, 1931. Serial No. 566,219

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for tufting mattresses and to a needle adapted for use in a mattress-tufting machine and the principal object of the invention is to provide a novel mattress tufting machine by means of which a mattress of the socalled inner spring type may be tufted without danger of breaking or injuring the spring coils which are located within the mattress. v i

In tufting a mattress having springs located in the mattress body by means of a mattress tufting machine the tufting needle is liable to engage the coils of some of the springs and where an ordinary tufting needle is used. and the needle is given a straight thrust through the mattress the engagement or impact of the needle against any coil spring is apt to cut, break, or bend the latter If this happens not only will the broken spring be rendered practically useless but the spring will present loose ends at the point where it is broken or out. which are liable to work through to the surface of the mattress.

For the above reasons it has been the common practice to tuft inner spring mattresses by hand instead of by a tufting machine because in performing the tufting operation by hand the operator can manipulate the tufting needle so as to cause it to dodge the coils ofany spring.

As statedabove the present invention aims to provide a tufting machine which can be successfully used in tufting inner spring mattresses and this is accomplished by providing a tufting needle with a point situated eccentrically of the axis thereof and by providing means for oscillating the needle as it is being thrust through the mattress. The eccentric location of the point of the needle and the oscillatory movement thereof causes the needle to feel its way through the coils of any spring and to dodge the turn of any spring with which it may come in contact whereby the needle thrust will be made without danger of breaking any spring.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view with part broken out of a mattress tuf ting machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing the means for oscillating the needle;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views of the pointed end of the needle showing the manner in which the needle is manipulated to dodge the coils of any spring;

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the device;

Mattress tufting machines are commonly provided with a tufting needle, means to thrust the needle through the mattress thereby to carry a tufting cord through the mattress and means to deliver a tuft to the cord on each face of the mattress and tie the cord to the tuft.

Since the present invention relates particularly to the construction of the tufting needle and the means for operating it rather than to the knotting mechanism I have not deemed it necessary to show any knotting mechanism in detail.

In the drawing 1 indicates generally the frame of a mattress tufting machine which ispr ovided with the bed portion 2 and an overhanging arm 3. The mattress 4 to be tufted is placed-between the bed 2 and arm 3 and is supported'on a work-supporting table 5. i

The tufting needle is indicated at 6 and in the present embodiment of the invention it is mounted to be thrust upwardly through the mattress 4. This needle co-operates withan upper knotting device 7 carried by the end of the arm 3 and a lower knotting device 37 carried by the bed 3, said knotting devices operating to form thetufting knots in the tufting thread as usual in mattress tufting devices.

38 indicates a presser foot located above the mattress and vertically movable in suitable guides 39 carried by the end of the arm3. This presser element is connected to and is actuated by a lever 8 pivoted at 9 to the frame 3, said lever having a link lflconnected to the end thereof which is provided with a follower operating in a cam groove 11 formed on a suitable cam that is mounted on a cam shaft 12 that is journalled in the frame 2. I

The needle 6 is mounted for vertical reciprocation and as stated above it operates from beneath the mattress so that its penetrating thrust is upwardly through the mattress. This needle maybe given its reciprocation in any suitable way. It is herein shown as carried in a needle bar 13 which reciprocates vertically through and is guided by a guiding sleeve 14 and the lower end of the needle bar is connected by a link 15 to a lever 16 pivoted at 17 in the base and actuated by a suitable cam 18 mounted on the cam shaft 12. This cam 18 is designed so as to give the needle the proper reciprocatory movement to perform the tufting operation.

In tufting the mattress the latter is placed in position and the presser foot 38 is then brought into contact with the mattress but Without compressing the latter. The needle is then inserted upwardly through the mattress as shown in Fig. 1 thereby carrying the tufting cord through the mattress and the needle co-operates with the lrnotter '7 to knot the top tuft. The needle is then withdrawn from the mattress and the presser foot 38 is advanced to compress the mattress and the needle then co-operates with the lower knotter 37 to knot the lower tuft on the under side of the mattress. As the needle is thrust through the mattress it is liable to strike one of the inner springs and to prevent the needle from injuring the spring the needle is so shaped that its point l9 is situated eccentrically or out of line with the axis of the needle and means are provided for oscillating the needle about its axis during its penetrating thrust. I

The eccentric position of the point of the needle and the oscillatory movement thereof enables the needle to feel its way through the coils of any spring with which the needle may contact during its penetrating thrust. In Fig; 5, WlilQhiiS a somewhat diagrammatic view of an innerspring mattress, 20 indicates one of the coil springs within the mattress and 21 indicates one "of the turns of'this coil spring.

The oscillatory movement of the eccentric pointed needle causes the point thereof to have a lateral vibratory motion during the penetrating thrust of the needle and if during such thrust the point of the needle comes against any turn of a spring as shown in Fig. 3 the turning movement of the needle and consequent lateral vibrating movement of the point 19 will carry the point to one side or the other of the turn of the spring so that the needle will move up the side of the spring or will Work its way through the coils of thespring instead of being thrust directly against any of the turns of the spring. Inthis way the needle will make its penetrating thrust without any danger of breaking of cutting any of the turns of any spring 20. H Any suitable means for giving theneedle its oscillatory movement about its axis may be employed. As herein shcwnthe needle bar is non-circularand extends through a non-circular opening in the sleeve l iand means are pro videdfor oscillating the sleeve about the axis of the needle thereby to give the needle its oscillatory movement. This sleeve is shown'as journalled in suitable bearing members or supports 22 carried by the bed 2 and its central portion 23 is of enlarged diameter and is provided with gear teeth 24 which mesh with the teeth of a rack 25 that reciprocates in suitable guideways 26. The rack bar 25 is shown as connected to a crank disk 27 through the medium of a link or connecting rod 28, said disk being mounted on a shaft 30. Any suitable means for rotating the shaft 30 may be employed and one convenient way is to rotate it through the medium of an electric motor 31 which may be mounted on a suitable platform 32 located within the base 2,'the latter being made hollow for this purpose. Various other ways of oscillating the needle may be employed, however, and the particular construction shown is merely for illustrative purposes.

I claim:

1. In a mattress tufting machine, the combination with a tufting needle having a nonaxial point, of means to give the 'needle a penetrating thrust through the mattress, and means to turn the needle about its axis during such thrust.

2. In a mattress tufting machine, the com bination with a tufting needle, of means to give the needle repeated penetrating thrusts through the mattress, and means to oscillate the needle 4.111 a mattress tufting machine, the combination with a tufting needle, of means to give the needle a penetrating thrust through the mattress, and means to oscillate the needle about an axis extending in the direction of its length during its penetrating thrust, said needle having a point situated out of line with itsaxis of oscillation. V

,5. In a mattress-tufting machine, the combination with a tufting needle, of means to give the needle repeated penetrating thrusts' in a fixed path, and means to oscillate the needle about an axis extending'in the direction of. its length during each penetrating thrust.

WILFRED B. MATHE'WSON. 

